“Well, that’s gonna put countless restaurants out of business.”
Having someone get training in food allergies will put restaurants out of business?
There are many people with food allergies. Some of these people don’t eat in restaurants now, because it’s risky. Having someone in the restaurant who can explain that the nut dishes are prepared separately, that the seafood fryolator is not he one they use for french fries, that they don’t use milk in the breading on the fish, means more customers. Being told “don’t order the cheesecake if you are allergic to chocolate” avoids trouble and builds trust (trust= repeat customers).
Having someone die (or more likely lose a week out of work) because the waitsaff didn’t understand the risk will put a restaurant out of business faster than not training staff. Bertucci’s chain had a problem when a patron (Janet Walker) asked if their pesto was made with nuts- the waitress had been told not to reveal recipes and said no- the patron died from a nut allergy. The original wrongful death suit was over 10 million, settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. A little training would have avoided that.
This will cut back on the willingness of restaurants to accommodate allergy sufferers. To be safe, they’ll just say what a lot of food packages say — that the food is prepared in the same kitchen as eggs, nuts, milk, etc. and “trace quantities may be present.” No need to have a maven present.
I’m sympathetic to those with allergies, but frankly, anyone with an allergy so bad it can kill them who trusts a waitress ‘ s word on the ingredients of a particular dish is irresponsible IMO.
There’s common sense on the part of the patron and the restaurant and onerous requirements imposed by a state government full of individuals that have never run a business in their lives. That’s the central point.
and so will this person be working every single minute each restaurant is open? will the eateries not allowed to sell food unless they are there?
what if they are not scheduled? what if they get sick? or die? or are taken down by their own food allergy?
these people are nazis, they are fascists who want to control private businesses by regulating them to death.
get it through your head that NONE of what they DO is truly for YOUR good, it is for THEIR goals. they pass it off as they are doing you a favor or making you safer, but that ain’t it.
It will make good tasting food for the vast majority almost out of reach. Your suggestions (above) may be do-able in the large, noisy chain restaurants that move 'em in and shove 'em out the instant customers have wolfed down their flash-frozen, microwaved burgers, steaks or battered fish. But overregulation like this, combined with the inevitable calorie-disclosure regulations soon to come, will absolutely suppress or destroy the ability to make a profit of sandwich shops, mom'n'pop diners, bakeries-with-tables and artisan chef's first restaurants.
In fact, the Food Network ought to sue the state of Maryland for even thinking of such a thing.
You seem to know something about this stuff, so riddle me this: when the hell did we start having all these severe food allergies?
I’m certain there have been cases of food allergies since the dawn of man, and a good friend of mine in elementary school had allergies to artificial flavors and colors. However, it’s just seemed that in recent years and decades this has really exploded, and the sensitivity to certain foods has become exquisite.
It’s as though the tiniest amount of peanut can cause somebody’s throat to close, just like only a tiny amount of urushiol (the active ingredient in poison ivy) can put bumps on my skin. It seems to me that these people live life walking on eggshells, with fewer friends, options and lovers. Is there anything being done to cure this stuff, and what the heck is causing it?